JU students block administrative building demanding withdrawal of case

Students of Jahangirnagar University or JU have blocked its administrative building after the authorities failed to withdraw charges of attempted murder and vandalism against protesters.

Jahangirnagar University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 31 July 2017, 05:51 AM
Updated : 31 July 2017, 06:19 AM

On July 15, the students went on hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of the case. They were assured by the authorities that the case would be withdrawn within seven days, Imran Nadim, president of JU Student Union, told bdnews24.com.

“Two weeks have passed, but we have yet to see any initiative on the matter. The blockade will continue until the case is withdrawn.”

Nearly 50 students from different departments have joined the siege that began at 8am on Monday.

On May 26, police detained 42 students of Jahangirnagar University for vandalising the vice chancellor’s building.

The university authorities also filed a case against them for ‘assaulting teachers and creating chaos’ on the campus.

The students were detained following their ‘violent protests’ over the deaths of marketing student Nazmul Hasan Rana and microbiology student ‘Arafat’, who had been run over by a bus.

Students were enraged by the university administration's decision to send the bodies of the dead students to the families without funeral prayers on the campus.

They blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway on May 26 and resumed demonstrations next day. Police used teargas and batons to clear the highway. Seven students suffered injuries during the incident and received treatment at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar.

Meanwhile, JU Chhatra League President Jewel Rana and General Secretary Abu Sufian assaulted some students on the campus, said witnesses.

They later barged into the campus residence of Vice-Chancellor Farzana Islam and vandalised it.

After an emergency meeting, the JU syndicate asked students to vacate dormitories and shut the university indefinitely.

Police arrested 42 protesters, including 10 female students, at the VC’s campus house.

Later, the authorities brought charges of attempted murder against 56 students. However, the detainees received bail soon afterwards.

Eight students went on hunger strike on July 15 demanding withdrawal of the case. Though the vice-chancellor assured them of resolving the matter on the third day of the strike, but she did not keep her promise, students alleged.